Heart's Ransom (Heart and Soul) by Kathryn Loch Page A

heavily against a table and rubbed his eyes.
    “My lord!” Leo called.  “Come quickly!”
    “Leo, I have better things to do than chasing Gwen’s addle brained pup.”
    “Please, my lord!”
    Sighing in resignation, Talon descended the stairs, wishing the blasted cur would stop its infernal yapping.
    “My lord,” Leo said, standing before the door.  “I do not have the keys.”
    Talon scowled, seeing Mince scratching at the door, still barking.  “What the devil has gotten into him?” he asked, pulling his keys from his belt.  He opened the door and Mince entered.  Finally falling silent, the pup sniffed around the dusty storeroom frantically, sneezing several times.
    “Leo, my patience is worn thin.”
    “Forgive me, my lord,” the boy said, holding up the lantern and gazing around the room.  Several crates, mostly reused weapons boxes larger than Leo was tall, filled it.  Storing bolts of woven cloth, raw pieces of cedar wood Talon had purchased from London to make chests for clothing, and other items.  In one corner sacks of flour were piled waist high.  In another were smaller sacks and parcels of varying items, mostly for the kitchens.  Next to that, long boards left over from the building of the keep along with various tools leaned against the wall.  On another wall were shelves with candles, oil, jars of herbals, and other miscellany.
    Mince barked again, scratching furiously on a large crate in the bottom right corner, buried under two other crates.  Talon stepped forward to grab the animal.  Mince growled at him.
    He stopped short in absolute shock that the impertinent whelp would dare such a transgression.
    Mince kept scratching, alternately growling and whining.
    A sense of movement on the other side of the crates caused Talon to stiffen, his hand falling to his dagger.  He saw a small drop of blood on the wood.
    “Leo--”
    Suddenly a shadow exploded forward.  Talon reacted instantly, shoving Leo back and lunging with his dagger.
    The man caught his wrist, deflecting the dagger.  Talon seized his wounded shoulder with his left hand and curled his fingers claw-like.
    The man howled and staggered.
    Talon stepped forward, viciously slamming his knee in the man’s groin.  The attacker folded and dropped like a stone.  Talon adjusted his hold, yanking the man’s injured arm behind his back and dropping his weight on top of him, his dagger pressed to the man’s neck.  His body trembled with rage and he fought to keep from slaying him instantly.
    Talon’s senses slowly returned as he panted for breath.  He heard Mince snarling furiously and Leo screaming for Simon and Richard.  Within an instant the knights appeared at the door.
    “The E arl has taken the sod!” Leo cried.
    “Saint’s blood,” Simon growled and hurried forward.  “Earl, are you all right?”
    “Aye,” Talon said through clenched teeth.  He waited for the two knights to grab the man before moving away and sheathing his dagger.
    “Here my lords,” Leo said handing them a length of rope from the pile of equipment in the corner. 
    Richard took it and bound the man’s hands behind him but he did not fight.  Talon had knocked him witless.  Richard and Simon hauled him to his feet, the man sagging between them.
    “So this is the bloody sod who would murder a defenseless maiden,” Richard growled.
    Talon abruptly realized Mince was still growling.  He glanced down and saw the pup latched onto the man’s ankle, tugging with all of his strength.  The man’s hosen and his ankle high shoes were shredded and blood streaked.
    So that’s why the pup had blood on his muzzle.
    “I’ll be damned,” Talon muttered, amusement tugging at his lips.
    The two knights looked down at the pup and Richard chuckled.  “Well now, it appears as if the little mongrel’s heart is in the right place, my lord.”
    “Aye,” Talon said and grabbed the dog.  “Enough, Mince, you’ve made your point.”
    The pup